Transfer chute



Sept. 10, 1940'. E. H. LICHTENBERG TRANSFER CHUTE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. so, 193

Sept 10. l940- E. H. LICHTENBERG 2,214,305

TRANSFER CHUTE Filed Jan. 30, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNTD STATES mais TRANSFER CHUTE Erich H. Lichtenberg, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to Koehring Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation Application January 30, 1939, Serial No. 253,644

2 Claims.

The present invention comprises certain novel operating mechanism particularly designed for use in conjunction with concrete mixing or similar mixing machines, for the purpose of the operation. of a discharging chute for causing emptying of the mixing drum of the mixing machine, the operating devices being disposed adjacent to the charging end of the machine, and controlled from such end, according to the contemplation of the present invention.

The primary object of this invention has been to devise diiferent forms of chute operating mechanisms associated with the stationary charging chute or adjacent to the stationary charging chute of the mixing drum, by which to shift the discharge chute from a non-discharging position, to a discharging position, and to eect reversal of such shifting movements at will, employing simplified arrangements of the operating parts in different modifications of the invention, all of which utilize generally the same principle of action so far as the discharging and nondischarging adjustments of the discharge chute are concerned.

n carrying out this invention, the same may take different forms of construction which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and referring to these, the figures thereof may be summarized as follows:

Figure l is a fragmentary View of the drum structure of a mixing machine, showing a sliding rotative actuating shaft, mounted at the central portion of the charging chute, whereby to shift the discharge chute to assume either a non-discharging or charging position.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, but illustrating a sliding bar for the discharge chute to move the latter along the longitudinal axis of the drum structure, the discharge chute being associated with the closure for the discharge opening, acting separately from the chute to perform the closing function.

Figure 3 is a sectional View that illustrates generally the arrangement of the operating device for the discharge chute of the Figure l type of construction, and the water iniiow casting, bringing out more clearily the relation between the same and the stationary charging chute at the charging opening of the mixing drum structure, the View being tatken about on the line 3 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure l is a View similar to Figures l and 2,

disclosing another modified construction of discharge chute actuating mechanism.

the line 4--4 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan View, bringing out a little more clearly the relation of the parts shown in Figure 4, in respect to the connection between the sliding operating bar and the chute and mounting of the chute itself, the chute operating means in this construction being disposed near the periphery of the charging opening for the drum structure.

Figure l is a view similar to Figure 4, and showing much the same mechanism but disclosing the disposition of the operating devices about at the central portion of the charging opening for the mixing drum structure instead of at one 'side of said charging opening.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary bottom plan View illustrating the relation of the operating parts and mounting of the chute shown in Figure '7.

Describing the several constructions illustrated in the drawings, in regular order practically as the gures are numbered, reference is first made to Figure 1, wherein the drum structure is generally designated at A and consists of two drum compartments l and 2.

This drum structure is one that may be employed for mixingmachines, where batches of concrete aggregates may be mixed in both of the drums l and 2 at the same time, a discharge chute 3, as seen in Figure l, being now availed of to transfer the batch of concrete aggregates mixed in the drum compartment l to the drum compartment 2, whereupon, while said aggregates are being mixed in the drum compartment 2, a fresh batch of aggregates may be introduced into the compartment l. Thereafter, the aggregates in the compartment 2 will be discharged therefrom through its discharging opening, not shown, before the aggregates mixed in the compartment l are transferred to said compartment 2.

' The principle of transferring the batches of aggregates from one drum compartment to the other, according to the type of drum structure in Figure 1, is not material to the invention, because the discharge chute means and its operating mechanism, according to the different modifications hereinafter set forth, may be employed for a single drum structure partaking largely of l the form of the drum compartment l shown in Figure 1, and other figures of the drawings.

The concrete aggregates that are to be mixed in the drum structure A, according to the invention, are supplied thereto, by conventional means including a charging skip, a portion of which is illustrated at B in Figure 1, as having been raised and caused to enter the stationary charging chute C. When the parts C and B are so adjusted, the concrete aggregates in dry condition, pass from the skip B through the chute C, also through the drum opening shown at 4, into the drum compartment I.

Associated with the chute C, according to the construction of Figures 1 and 3, is a water inlet casting 5 which comprises virtually a hollow chamber having an inlet .opening shown at dotted lines at 8 in Figure l, with which opening is connected an outlet pipe leading from a water tank, or any similar source of supply of water. The water is vadapted to enter the chamber of the casting 5 and pass out of said chamber through a lateral discharging opening l, see Figure 1, thereafter to admix with the dry aggregates that are introduced into the compartment I from the skip B and through the chute C. The water casting 5 is preferably integral or cast with a supporting tube or sleeve 8, which is mounted with the casting 5 upon suitable frame members 9 of a frame structure that is located adjacent to the charging opening 4 of the drum structure A. The tube or sleeve 8 receives therein a rotatable shaft I0, and this shaft has an arm II at its outer end by which it may be rocked through an arc of substantially 180 degrees.

Carried by the shaft I8, and Xed thereto in any suitable manner, as by bracket means I2, is the discharge chute 3 previously mentioned, which normally inclines downwardly in the direction of the discharge opening I3, when the chute is adjusted to assume its discharging position. Of course, there are suitable pick-up buckets, and blades, in the drum compartment I, and these lift and shift the agrregate materials in such a manner, during the process of agitation that when the chute 3 is in the position of Figure l, the materials will be fed down upon said chute and caused to slide along it downwardly through the discharge opening I3 to a point eX- terior to the drum compartment I, in this instance, into the drum compartment 2, which has similar pick-up buckets and blades therein for mixing purposes.

By turning the shaft I through the use of any suitable operating mechanism, either manually or power operated, about a half revolution, the position of the chute 3 is reversed so that it inclines downwardly away from the discharge opening I3, and the aggregate materials being mixed in the compartment I, under such conditions may fall upon thechute, on the lower surface thereof, when it is reversed from the discharge position and said materials, under these co-nditions, will be prevented from passing through the discharge opening I3. rIhe reverse position of the chute 3 from the full line position of Figure 1, is shown in dotted lines, and causes the chute to act virtually as a closure for the discharge opening I3.

The central disposition of the parts 8 and I8 and 5, according to the construction of Figure 1, is clearly illustrated by the sectional view of Figure 3, which also shows in dotted lines, the water supply pipe I4, partly broken away, said supply pipe communicating with the opening 6 of the casting 5.

Passing now to the construction of the modication of the invention disclosed by Figure 2, the parts illustrated which are the same as those in Figure 1, are designated by the same numerals. In this construction, the water casting is similar to that previously described and is also formed. with a sleeve or tube 8 much as previously set forth. In this construction, however, the operating means for the chute 3a that discharges the aggregates from the drum compartment I is somewhat different in that it consists of a slide bar I5, shiftable longitudinally through the sleeve 8 and carrying at its inner end the chute 3a, and a circularly formed closure member I6 is likewise rigidly attached to said slide bar I5.

The slide bar I5 may be operated by any suitable mechanism, but the devices shown preferably include an `air or hydraulic ram I8, piston member I9 of which is connected by its piston rod 28 to the lower end of an operating lever 2 I, pivoted at 22. The upper end of the lever 2| is pivotally connected to the outermost end of the bar I5, which projects outwardly from the drum structure A, much beyond the charging opening #l as quite evident from the drawings.

The operation of the construction of Figure 2 will be quite evident. Upon sliding inwardly of the slide bar I5, the chute 3a will assume the dotted line position illustrated, and the closure Iii will occupy substantially the entire expanse of the discharge opening I3 so as to prevent any of the aggregate materials in the compartment I from being discharged in the said opening I3. A movement of the slide bar I5 in the opposite direction, namely, to the right, as seen in Figure 2, will carry the chute 3a. and the closure I5 to the position shown in full lines and the aggregate materials in the compartment I picked up by the blades and pick-up buckets of the drum structure A will gravtate into the chute 3a and pass out of the compartment I through the opening I3 by the action of said chute.

In Figure 4, the chute operating mechanism is somewhat dilierent from those structures previously described, and includes again supporting means in the form of the casting 5 and the sleeve or tube 8 carried thereby. In this instance, the said supporting structure is located near the side of the charging opening 4 of the compartment I, and the said arrangement is shown very clearly by the sectional view of Figure 5 of the drawing. Within the tube 8 is a slide bar 23 which is equipped with a lateral arm 24 on which arm the discharge chute 3b has va pivotal bearing. The chute 3b is actually supported by the arm 24 and the bar 23 by reason of the latters snug tting movability in the tube 8, affords a supporting mounting for the chute and the bar.

Connecting a side of the chute 3b with the sleeve or tube 8 is a link 25. The construction works in a simple manner in that as the slide bar 23 is moved outwardly, the chute 3b is caused to assume the full line position of Figure 4, and as the bar 23 is moved inwardly, said chute will assume the dotted line non-discharging position, or mixing position of Figure 4.

According to the construction of the invention in Figure 7, the parts are substantially the same as illustrated in Figure 4, except that the members 5 and 8 and associated parts therefor are disposed about at the central axis of the opening 4 of the mixing compartment I, instead of at one side of said axis. Under these conditions, the slide bar 26 supports the chute 3c at its central portion and two links 21 may be employed to connect the chute with the inner end of the sleeve 8 and cause the rocking of the chute required to move the same to its charging and non-discharging positions, incidental to the sliding action of the said slide bars 26. The slide bar 23 of Figure 4 and the slide bar 26 of Figure 7 construction may be operated by any suitable manual or power means within the purview of the invention. The type of chute illustrated in Figure '7 is somewhat different from that type illustrated in Figure 4, but said chute performs substantially the same function in both types of construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a mixing machine, in combination, a mixing drum structure having a mixing compartment provided with a charging opening at one end and a discharging opening at the other end, a tube disposed in the charging opening of said compartment and extending inwardly and outwardly therefrom, a discharge chute associated with the discharging opening of the said compartment and movable to assume discharging and non-discharging positions, and a movable member mounted in said tube for shifting the discharge chute from charging to non-discharging positions and vice versa, an actuating member applied to the outer end of said movable member for imparting thereto discharge chute actuating movements, said movable member being slidably mounted in the tube and thus shiftable along the longitudinal axis of the mixing drum structure, a lpivotal connection between said movable member and the discharge chute, and linkage means connecting the discharge chute and the tube where as the movable member is shifted in the tube rocking movement will be imparted to the discharge chute.

2. In a mixing machine, in combination, a mixing drum structure having a mixing compartment provided with a charging opening at one end and a discharging opening at the other end, a tube disposed in the charging opening of said compartment and extendingvinwardly and outwardly therefrom, a discharge chute associated with the discharging opening of the said compartment and movable to assume discharging and non-discharging positions, and a movable member mounted in said tube for shifting the discharge chute from charging to non-discharging positions and vice versa, an actuating member applied to the outer end of said movable member for imparting thereto discharge chute actuating movements, said movable member being slidably mounted in the tube and thus shiftable along the longitudinal axis of the mixing drum structure, a pivotal connection between said movable member and the discharge chute, linkage means connecting the discharge chute and the tube where as the movable member is shifted in the tube rocking movement will be imparted to the discharge chute, the said movable member being provided with a lateral arm at its inner end forming the pivotal connection between it and the discharge chute, and said movable member and the tube in which it is mounted being dispo-sed adjacent to the periphery of the charging opening of the drum.

ERICH H. LICHTENB-ERG. 

